BOG (1979)
Fishman alert! I actually borrowed Bog on VHS from a friend years ago and never watched it. The film now comes to me via a secret, mystical repository of psychotronic delights (Tubi). A word on our fishman - though it is gilled, I'm not sold on its status as a fish. Or a man. All we learn about the boggy critter is that it has been awakened from a deep slumber. It may be prehistoric? As for the monster's motivation, bulbous eyes reveal an august, unmitigated passion for life and all of the mysteries of the universe. And breeding. Don't forget breeding. A cluster of eggs is supposed to leave the door open for a sequel, but let me back up a bit. Aldo Ray plays a sheriff who must contend with a pile of dead fishermen. Naturally, we meet a pair of scientist types, and this is where Bog gets its...idiosyncrasies. That's a rather generous word choice on my part, but I believe this movie has its heart in the right place. Fiftysomething Ginny begins a crusty romance with sixtysomething Brad. Paragraph!
Break! For some unholy reason, Bog makes it a point to focus on their relationship. They are depicted as smitten teenagers, which is cute at first. Then we're treated to an uncomfortably long makeout session. I can't seem to identify the target audience here. Regardless, Brad and Ginny anchor the script, so I hope you're in the mood for freebase hanky-panky at the retirement home. Thankfully, Bog resides in PG waters. Dodged a bullet there. While I can say that this flick is entertaining, you need to consider the source. This is my kind of mess. Still, out of all of the "fishman" follies that I've been lucky enough to catch, this one offers the least amount of creature suit chicanery. We don't get an eyeful of anything interesting until well after the hour mark. Bog does receive partial credit for featuring a swamp witch. So there is that. Recommended to fans of Rana: The Legend of Shadow Lake and the episode of The Golden Girls where Blanche beds a mudskipper.
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